CROSSFIRE MEDIA GROUP TO HANDLE PUBLIC RELATIONS FOR STRIKEFORCE WELTERWEIGHT TYRON WOODLEY

San Jose, California (USA):  Phil Lanides, Owner/Publicist of Crossfire Media Group (CMG), today revealed that his company has reached an agreement with Strikeforce welterweight star Tyron “T-Wood” Woodley to become his public relations representative. The undefeated Woodley has cemented himself as a star on the rise in Strikeforce’s 170-pound division, and is poised to fight for their vacant belt in the near future.

CMG will provide PR and media relations services for “T-Wood,” and in the process help continue to build his brand and that of his gym, ATT Evolution, in St. Louis, Missouri. Lanides will now handle all media inquests for Woodley.

“Tyron is, without a doubt, right on the cusp of reaching true elite status in the welterweight division,” said Lanides. “I’m extremely excited to join up with him at this point in his career, as I truly believe that his skills are already there. It’s just a matter of building up his brand, and I am committed to doing my part to bring that to fruition.”

“I worked with Phil on the launch of my gym, and he did an exemplary job,” stated Woodley. “He’s passionate, and working together, I believe that we’re going to be able to build each other up even further.”

“T-Wood” is one of the top competitors in Strikeforce’s 170-pound division. Making the transition from prospect to legitimate threat in 2011, the two-time Division I All-American in wrestling bested both Tarec Saffidiene and Paul “Semtex” Daley. He kicked off 2012 with a decision victory over Jordan Mein on January 7^th in Las Vegas at “Strikeforce: Rockhold vs. Jardine.” Now unbeaten at 10-0 with six finishes, the 29 year-old is in position to compete for the vacant Strikeforce welterweight belt next.

In late 2011, Woodley opened up American Top Team Evolution in St. Louis. A long-time member of ATT, “T-Wood” is focused on making his new gym the preeminent training center in St. Louis. A devoted husband and father, he also dreams of one day opening up a non-profit center to help troubled children and teens.

Woodley joins the CMG stable of clients, which also includes Canadian fight promotion Aggression MMA, former world champion pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page’s workout brand, DDPYOGA, Bay Area-based combat sports promotion Elite Combat Sports, top MMA fight team Roufusport, and top combat sports broadcaster Mauro Ranallo.

For more information on Tyron Woodley, please visit http://www.tyronwoodley.com/ or http://www.attevolution.com/. Tyron can also be followed on Twitter @TWooodley.

TEAM PALOOKA’S MIKE MASSENZIO WINS BIG AT UFC 136

ALSO TO APPEAR AT NEW YORK COMIC-CON AT PALOOKA BOOTH

Ridgewood, New Jersey (USA): At UFC 136, middleweight Mike Massenzio made his Team Palooka debut with a gutsy, come-from-behind victory against former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion Steve Cantwell. The win represented what Team Palooka is all about: heart, determination, and a “never say die” attitude. The Massenzio-Cantwell bout kicked off the night, and definitely got the crowd going. Both fighters headed into the bout desperately needing a big win in order to keep their position with the UFC, and the New Jersey-based Massenzio came away with the “W.”

“Winning this fight, it’s a great feeling…one of the greatest feelings of my life,” says Massenzio. “I’ve been through a lot over the last few years, and I’ve been through a lot in my career already. After a fast start, I got hit with some major injuries. I came back against Brian Stann, which was a very tough first fight, and we got ‘Fight of the Night.’ The Soszynski fight was tough, too. Against Cantwell, I took a little bit from him in the first round, then he caught me good, and I had to deal with that. But I was able to hang with it, and I came back. It was a great experience.”

While waiting for his next bout, the 185-pounder will continue to train with his team at AMA Fight Club in New Jersey. As far as who is next on his list, Massenzio is leaving that in the capable hands of the organization.

“I’ll fight whoever the UFC gets me. I feel good about being able to be in there with some of the best and hang. To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. So whatever they decide to do, I’ll go with it. I’m all about heart, and I’m always going to go out there and fight with everything I’ve got, every fight.”

While we don’t know who Massenzio will face next in the Octagon, we do know what is next for him outside the cage. This Thursday, 10/13 and Sunday, 10/16, Mike will be appearing at the Team Palooka booth (#349) at the New York Comic Con. He’ll be there in order to sign autographs, interact with the fans, and promote the new “Joe Palooka” comics being released!

“It’s an honor that Team Palooka wants to have me as part of what they’re doing. It’s great that they have interest in my career. I’m hoping that as they rise, I rise at the same time. And I’m really looking forward to being with the fans at Comic-Con. Come on out and come say hi…it’s going to be awesome!”

The news MMA comic book fans have been waiting for was recently announced: the comic series made its world premiere with its first issue last week when “Joe Palooka” issues #1 & #2 became available for purchase for the first time anywhere. Fans can get their hands on the comic at http://www.Palooka.com/, and hard copies of the issue will follow in early 2012.

A special 13-page FREE-VIEW is also available simply for signing up with an email address on http://www.Palooka.com/, and fans can also take advantage of a unique offer on “Joe Palooka” issues #1 and #2, which are available together for the low price of only $1.99.

The “Joe Palooka” comic series tells the story of Joe Palooka, an MMA fighter who competes in “Legion of Combat,” which is a sister comic publication. “Legion of Combat” will feature Joe Palooka and top MMA stars including “Suga” Rashad Evans, Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, the Blackzilians, Brendan Schaub, and the Miller brothers in team matches between fighters representing countries such as the U.S., the U.K., Brazil, Russia, Japan, China, and other nations.

Blackbelt TV, the world’s martial arts television network, has signed an
agreement to bring M-1 Global, Europe’s leading MMA league to the
network.

M-1 Global has established itself in the realm of mixed martial arts (MMA) as one
of the top three MMA promotions in the world. The M-1 brand has staged over
70 events worldwide and features over fifty fighters from nine countries including
Holland, the U.S., Japan, France, Spain, Finland, Korea, Germany and Russia.

M-1 Global’s has showcased some of the toughest and most talented fighters in
history including Fedor Emelianenko. With daily coverage on all MMA-related
websites in the world, and articles in Time Magazine, LA times and New York
times, Fedor and M-1 Global make a lifetime match serving as the catalyst to
grow MMA in the 21st century.

“M-1 is excited about working with our friends at Blackbelt TV. As Europe’s
leading mixed martial arts promotion, the joint project will deliver more action-
packed MMA excitement to the fans. It’s a win-win outcome.” — Evgeni Kogan –
Director of Operations: M-1 Global.

“I’m thrilled the world’s martial arts television network can now bring you the best
international MMA promotions.” – Larry Kasanoff , CEO / Founder Blackbelt TV

M-1 Global is part of Blackbelt TV’s new prime time schedule that features MMA
Mondays – where viewers can watch the best mixed martial arts from around the
world every Monday night.

Blackbelt TV is the world’s martial arts television network, showing great martial
arts fights, movies and original programming, 24/7. The network is hosted by
gorgeous girls called, Fight Jocks. The network’s motto: Kicks!* Flicks! *&
Chicks!
Blackbelt TV’s Founder and CEO, Larry Kasanoff, is the Producer of all Mortal
Kombat non-video game media, including two highly successful films, a television
series, and animated series. He was the Executive Producer of the box-office
smash film True Lies, which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger.

IT’S MEXICO VERSUS GUATEMALA AT MMAX’S TEAM QUALIFIER

AT THE JOINT INSIDE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO THIS FRIDAY

Mexican Independence Day and Guatemalan Independence Day both take place this weekend

 Las Vegas, Nevada – As the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA) explodes more and more in growth, the cream of the next crop of fighters is beginning to rise to the surface. This Friday, September 16^th, the two best 145-pound amateur fighters in Las Vegas will lock horns with national pride and their futures on the line when Cesar Campos and Rudy Morales battle as MMA Xplosion (MMAX) presents its Team Qualifier event. This electrifying fight card, presented by Millennium Events, will take place at The Joint inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

The MMAX Team Qualifier will feature an all-amateur card, with teams coached by UFC® veterans Tony “The Freak” Fryklund and Marvin “The Beastman” Eastman, respectively. In addition, the fighters will be competing for an opportunity to become part of two newly established Las Vegas home teams, named the Las Vegas Spiders and the Las Vegas Scorpions, who will compete against each other at the next scheduled team event in October.

This Friday’s main event features two fan favorites in Campos (8-1) and Morales (7-1) in an excellent match-up between rising local stars.

Cesar Campos was born in Los Angeles, and raised in Oregon. He is full-blooded Mexican, and is extremely proud of his heritage. The 5’11” 145-pounder trains at TapouT Training Center in Vegas…which is also where his opponent trains, though they train at different times in different classes. Though he’s only been training in MMA for a couple years, Campos has already made a name for himself, and at 26 years old, his future is quite bright. But first, he’s got to get past Morales.

“I’m still working on my game plan, but my mentality is that no matter which way the fight goes, I’m going to be in it,” states Campos. “But I’m going to try to finish Rudy as soon as the bell rings for the first round.”

“I think it’s going to be a good fight. I know Rudy’s training hard, I’m training hard, and we’re two of the best featherweights in Vegas right now. I know it’s a fight I’d like to see.”

Also looking to display his talents this Friday is Rudy Morales. At 26 years old, just like his opponent, Morales has carved out a reputation as an ultra-tough competitor. Born and raised in Guatemala, he began training Kenpo karate at the age of eight. He later picked up Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and started doing MMA over the last few years. With his thoughts on turning pro in 2012, Morales is planning to leave it all in the cage this weekend. “My style for this fight will be something like Jon ‘Bones’ Jones, and I want to make sure the crowd gets their money’s worth. I will put my health on the line to accomplish that. And so far, I haven’t been able to finish an opponent. I don’t want to let this fight go to the judges.”

This weekend, both Mexican Independence Day and Guatemalan Independence Day take place. As such, both Campos and Morales will be proudly representing their respective heritages.  “Mexican fighters have a lot of heart. They’ll fight,” explains Campos. “It doesn’t matter if they’re hurt, they’ll keep going. And I want to show that part of me this Friday…that part of my heritage.”

“I’m trying to avoid the Guatemala versus Mexico angle…we’re all Latino Americans,” says Morales. “But representing Guatemala this weekend is pretty much one of my biggest achievements, other than being a father. It’s a lot of pressure, but life without risk is no life. If I don’t risk it all, I won’t be able to accomplish anything.”

Here is the Team Qualifier fight card as it stands now:

MAIN EVENT

Cesar Campos (8-1)                                             vs.                                           Rudy Morales (7-1)

TapouT                                                                   145 lbs.                                  TapouT

David Jordan (8-1)                                               vs.                                           David Tompkins (4-1)

Team Beastman                                                    155 lbs.                                  TapouT

Joe Angelo (7-5)                                                  vs.                                           Daniel Cuison (2-0)

TapouT                                                                   170 lbs.                                  Throwdown

Mike Florio (5-1)                                                   vs.                                           Weston Duschen (6-6)

Excel Defense Center                                            205 lbs.                                  Xtreme Couture

Prentice Williams (5-1)                                        vs.                                           Khalil Roundtree (2-0)

                Xtreme Couture                                                     205 lbs.                                  Wand Fight Team

                Jimmy Like (1-2)                                                   vs.                                           Christian Cardona (2-2)

Team Beastman                                    155 lbs.                                  TapouT

Kevin Smith (0-1)                                                  vs.                                           Jason Rivera (1-3)

Sunset Boxing & MMA                                        155 lbs.                                  Wand Fight Team

Shane Benbow (2-1)                                            vs.                                           Boostayre Nagarios (2-1)

Throwdown                                                           145 lbs.                                  Team Beastman

Richard Patini (0-0)                                              vs.                                           Cruz Ramos (0-0)

Sunset Boxing &MMA                                         125 lbs.                                  Team Torres

Ramsen Merza (1-2)                                            vs.                                           Hugo Gonzalez (0-0)

TapouT                                                                   140 lbs.                                  Team Torres

Aaron Fonseca (0-0)                                            vs.                                           Nate (0-0)

                Sunset Boxing & MMA                                        185 lbs.                                  Throwdown

Jamie Sanchez (0-1)                                             vs.                                           Jake Malili (2-0)

Team Torres                                                           155 lbs.                                  Throwdown

Joshua Lopas (0-0)                                              vs.                                           Sean Cantor (3-0)

Throwdown                                                           135 lbs.                                  Wand Fight Team

Junior (15 fights)                                                  vs.                                           Arthur Nicholas (2-0)

Throwdown                                                           125 lbs.                                  Independent

Rick Fell (0-0)                                                        vs.                                           Eddie Guerrero (0-2)

Throwdown                                                           135lbs.                                   Team Torres               

*Fight card is subject to change

For more information on MMAX, please visit our website at http://www.mmaxplosion.com/

“A Fighting Spirit” looks at the NY MMA community in the wake of 9/11

Edmonton, Alberta (Canada) - One of Canada’s top fight promotions today released its fight card for its upcoming September 16^th event, as Aggression MMA announced opponents for Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford, Tim “Thrashing Machine” Hague, and Freddy Assuncao. In addition, a featherweight title match between top Canadian 145-pounder Adam Lorenz and UFC veteran Alvin “The Kid” Robinson has been added to the night’s fights. “Unfinished Business” will be broadcasted live across the globe through online Pay-Per-View at www.AggressionMMA.com.

“Unfinished Business” will take place at the Shaw Conference Center on Friday, September 16^th. Doors will open at 6:30 PM, with the first fight hitting the cage at 7 PM. Tickets are available over the phone at (780) 426-SOLD, or online at www.TNTTickets.ca.

Here’s a full rundown of the fight card:

170 lbs. – Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford (16-3) vs. Dave “Hollywood” Hulett (17-9)

205+ lbs. – Tim “Thrashing Machine” Hague (12-5) vs. Vince Lucero (20-21-1)

145 lbs. title – Adam Lorenz (5-1) vs. Alvin “The Kid” Robinson (11-6)

205 lbs. – Nick Penner (10-1) vs. Tim Chemelli (8-1)

155 lbs. – “Big Bad” Stephen Beaumont (3-0) vs. Warren Phillips (5-2)

145 lbs. – Freddy Assuncao (4-1) vs. Baz Cunningham (6-2)

170 lbs. – Rio Wells (5-1) vs. Mike Hill (3-0)

170 lbs. – Mike Scarcello (1-0-1) vs. “Dr. Jekyl” James Chaney (4-1)

135 lbs. – Sy Jewitt (2-0) vs. Sarah Moras (1-0)

155 lbs. – Devon Jones (3-0) vs. Keenan “Kolla Bone” Feeney (2-1-1)

“We are extremely excited to be able to bring a fight card like this to Edmonton,” states Aggression MMA Co-Owner Moin Mirza. “And equally exciting is the fact that fans across the globe can tune in through the Aggression website and catch all the action, too!”

Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford has clearly established himself as one of the top stars in Canada. He has won four straight, and eight of his last nine fights, finishing all his victims on either punches or submissions. Just this year, he’s conquered Johnny Davis, former UFC welterweight contender Karo Parisyan, and fellow top Canadian Nick Hinchliffe in succession. Recently, he signed with Bellator, but will continue to compete in Aggression, as evidenced by him headlining “Unfinished Business.”

Standing across the cage from Ford on September 16^th will be Dave “Hollywood” Hulett, an extremely experienced welterweight who has finished 16 of his 17 victims. A training partner of UFC veterans Forrest Griffin and Evan Dunham, Hulett has been in MMA for over ten years. A submission specialist, he is hungry to take the next step in his career, and will provide a tough challenge for “The Real Deal.”

Tim “The Thrashing Machine” Hague, at only 27 years old, is a five-time UFC veteran who has proven his talent and mettle over and over again. A brutally strong competitor, he has finished his opponent in ten of his twelve victories. After three separate stints with the UFC, he returns to his native Canada to get back on the winning track. And he’s hungry to prove he belongs amongst the best heavyweights in the sport. On September 16^th, Hague will face a heavyweight with a lot of fights under his belt in Vince Lucero. A native of Arizona, Lucero has over forty fights on his pro record, and has competed all over the world against notable fighters such as Jimmy Ambriz, Travis “Ironman” Fulton, UFC veterans Christian Wellisch, Soa Palelei, Roy Nelson, Brad Imes, and Eddie Sanchez, Strikeforce’s Lavar Johnson, former UFC heavyweight Champion Tim Sylvia, and Bellator monster Ron Sparks.

A native of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil, Freddy Assuncao made his pro debut in 2009. Fighting is in his blood, as evidenced by his brothers, Raphael and Junior, who are themselves accomplished MMA fighters. All three brothers train together outside Atlanta, Georgia at Ascension Mixed Martial Arts. Both Raphael and Junior currently fight for the UFC: Raphael is coming off a unanimous decision victory at UFC 134 in Brazil, while Junior is scheduled to re-enter the Octagon for the first time since 2007, as he competes at UFC 135 on September 24^th. Freddy, the youngest brother, is coming off a submission victory over UFC/WEC vet Kit Cope, but has shown that he isn’t a one-trick pony, as evidenced by his evolving striking game. He is a prospect MMA fans need to keep an eye on, as the sky is the limit for this developing young star. At “Unfinished Business,” Assuncao will defend the family name against British Columbia’s Baz Cunningham, a solid Canadian prospect with a penchant for putting on electrifying performances in the cage.

“Unfinished Business” will also host an Aggression featherweight title fight between Adam Lorenz and Alvin Robinson. Lorenz has started off his career by building a strong record, and is one of Canada’s top featherweight prospects. Meanwhile, Robinson is a four-time UFC vet looking to climb back to the top of the mountain. There are several other top Canadian combatants competing on the card as well, including Nick Penner, Tim Chimelli, Stephen Beaumont, and former CFL star Rio Wells. In addition, “Unfinished Business” will showcase two undefeated female fighters in Sy Jewitt and Sarah Moras, in what promises to be an entertaining scrap.

“Ryan Ford, Tim Hague, Freddy Assuncao, Adam Lorenz, Alvin Robinson…I’m elated we were able to get so many top-level fighters for ‘Unfinished Business,” says Aggression MMA Co-Owner Harvey Panesar. “I can’t wait to see these world class athletes put their skill sets on display for a worldwide audience!”

Fight fans won’t want to miss this awesome night of action, as Aggression MMA presents “Unfinished Business!”

For more information, please visit our website at http://www.aggressionmma.com/

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA - Today’s MMA camps are constantly evolving. Long gone are the days of a fight camp only teaching one discipline, or even just two.

Nowadays, competitors must be cross-training in all disciplines, from striking, to wrestling, to grappling… not to mention the emphasis that must be placed on cardio conditioning.

As such, many competitors are now training with camps outside their home base, and bringing in specialists for specific upcoming fights. And as a result, it is difficult for a gym to get all its pro fighters together at the same time.

Yet, when the stars align and it happens, the benefits for all those involved are tremendous.

“I love having all my guys in the gym at the same time,” says Duke Roufus, Roufusport’s legendary head trainer. “Something magical happens when they’re all in there together, helping one another…improvement is just a foregone conclusion. It’s just an amazing event to witness.”

Roufusport, one of the top fight teams/gyms in America, is fortunate to have a very strong stable of fighters in-house, and right now they’re all training together in Milwaukee in preparation for upcoming fights.

Competitors such as UFC stars Alan “The Talent” Belcher, Ben Rothwell, Anthony “Showtime” Pettis, Erik “New Breed” Koch, “Danny Boy” Downes, Bellator Welterweight Champion Ben “Funky” Askren, and up-and-comers Sergio “The Phenom” Pettis, Zach “Thunderwood” Underwood, Chico “King” Camus, Rick “Gladiator” Glenn, and Nick “Afrozilla” Gaston, are getting their time in at the gym, and it’s paying dividends for all. Always looking for ways to improve upon an already successful formula, Roufusport has added a new Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Head Coach in Black Belt Joao Zeferino. He is a 2008 BJJ World Champion, and also will be competing in the cage soon.

“Training at Roufusport, and especially with all the guys there, is like being a Spartan,” explains UFC featherweight Erik Koch. “Everyone does this for a living, and we are all warriors. We feed off each other, and, in my opinion, train harder than anyone else.”

“It’s amazing!” exclaims UFC 155-pounder “Danny Boy” Downes. “MMA may be an individual sport, but you need a solid team behind you to get better. Everyone is stepping it up and getting to the next level.”

“It’s great having all that talent training together. Each guy adds a different attribute to the team, and we all have that one part of our fight game that is our strong point,” states Sergio Pettis, younger brother of Anthony Pettis, who will make his pro MMA debut September 10^th in Canada. “Having all these guys on our team, we are all working on helping each other’s weaknesses. Like Ben Askren helping the team with his wrestling, and in return, we are helping him with his standup. Roufusport is now becoming a gym filled with complete fighters…not just a gym filled with standup fighters.”

Some of the fights coming up for Roufusport fighters include:

·        Sept. 10^th – Sergio Pettis, CFC (Canada)

• Sept. 17^th – Erik Koch and Alan Belcher, UFC
• Sept. 17^th – Nick Gaston, King of the Cage
• Sept. 24^th – Ben Rothwell, UFC
• Oct. 8^th – Anthony Pettis, UFC
• Oct. 8^th – Ben Askren, Bellator
• Oct. 15^th – Chico Camus, Chicago Cagefighting
• Oct. 29^th – Danny Downes, UFC
• Nov. 18^th – Joao Zeferino, Sergio Pettis, Chico Camus, Zach Underwood, Rick Glenn, Israel Abiles, Isreal Lozano, Brandon Pratt, NAFC (Milwaukee)

For more information on Roufusport, please visit http://roufusport.com/.

In relation to thousands of fighters in the sport of MMA, few ever get to compete in the main event or co-main event of a UFC® event. It’s the dream of every fighter to do so. Today, at UFC® 134, Brendan Schaub has the opportunity to knock off a true legend when he faces Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira in the co-main event. And he’s confident in the result of the fight.

“The fight this weekend means everything…this is the biggest moment in my career. I’m so pumped, It’s gonna be a war, but in the end, I’ll have my hand raised in victory.”

Yet, Schaub’s confidence hasn’t overridden his respect for his opponent.

“’Minotauro’ is a legend, and I’m going to show my respect by fighting harder than ever.”

Sponsoring Schaub for this opportunity is the “Joe Palooka” comic book series. The comic series tells the story of Joe Palooka, an MMA fighter who competes in “Legion of Combat,” which is a sister comic publication. “Legion of Combat” will feature Joe Palooka in team matches between fighters representing countries such as the U.S., the U.K., Brazil, Russia, Japan, China, and other nations. And don’t be surprised if you end up seeing some of your favorite MMA fighters, including Brendan Schaub, featured in the “Legion of Combat” comic book series along the way.

“It’s amazing to be a part of pop culture representing the sport I love. Being a pro athlete and a comic book hero is every kid’s dream, including mine. I’m so blessed to be in this position.”

When asked what kind of comic book character he’d like to be, Schaub’s response was simple.

“One of the good guys, for sure.”

Fans can go to the Joe Palooka page on Facebook, and follow @TeamPalooka for more information!

By Phil Lanides

As mixed martial arts gets closer and closer to its twentieth year of existence as an official sport, fans are starting to see second-generation competitors pop up on local and national fight cards. Hawaii is no different in that regard. The Pa’aluhi name is well-known and well-respected throughout the Islands, as the patriarch of the family was part of the beginnings of MMA in Hawaii. Now, Raquel Pa’aluhi will carry on the family name as she is slated to compete at Pro Elite: “Arlovski vs. Lopez” this Saturday night. Suffice to say that it’s a pressure-packed situation. But she is up for the challenge.

Raquel Pa’aluhi (3-1) is one of the best female fighters from Hawaii…there’s no question about that. A pro since 2009, she has developed a reputation for stealing the show on the fight cards she appears on. And her athletic abilities have been passed down to her. Pa’aluhi’s father was an outstanding football player and state champion wrestler in high school, and eventually competed on the early Superbrawl events, which were promoted by Pro Elite head T.Jay Thompson. In addition, Raquel’s big brother is well-known for his time playing football for Oregon State. To put it lightly, sports runs through her veins. “Sports are a big part of my family’s being. It’s always been something that brought everyone together. We even have a dog club in our family. Every time you accomplish something big, sports-wise, you get promoted to a better dog. It sounds silly but it keeps us going!”

At this weekend’s event, Pa’aluhi will face Sarah McMann in a highly-anticipated encounter. McMann (3-0) is an undefeated competitor with a strong ground game who is coming off a victory over well-known female fighter Tonya Evinger. “I know she’s a great wrestler. She’s very strong and she’s a bully in the cage,” explains Pa’aluhi. But the Hawaiian scrapper isn’t selling herself short, either. “I feel like I evolve every fight and I still have so much room to grow. And I am not specifically good at one thing. When people ask me what kind of fighter I am, I usually say I’m a freestyle fighter because I’m constantly trying to get better at everything. I am able to go wherever the fight takes me.” Those skills will serve Pa’aluhi well at this weekend’s tilt.
In MMA, everyone knows that nothing is guaranteed. The sport experiences upsets on a seemingly regular basis. So while the Hawaiian crowd will surely be in her corner for the fight, Pa’aluhi knows that she has to take the bout very, very seriously. But if she does get in trouble in the cage, she will be prepared to deal with it by using her greatest strength. “It’s my heart. It’s always been the best thing about me. And when the fight gets tough it always pulls me through. I’m very mentally tough as well. And I can thank my Dad for that.”

No matter what the end of her fight brings on Saturday, the Hawaiian competitor has fireworks in store for the Pro Elite fans this weekend. “I plan to show the world that this is what I was made to do, and that Raquel Pa’aluhi is here to stay.”

If Raquel is any indication, the future of MMA both in Hawaii and abroad is incredibly bright.